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25 Dollars
| Issuer | Oriental Bank Corporation |
|---|---|
| Year | 1866 |
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| Currency | Dollar (1858-date) |
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| Obverse description | The obverse is printed in red on cream paper and carries a central vignette of a reclining lion and unicorn supporting a shield, with the arc inscription INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER above. The denomination numeral 25 appears in square panels at both upper left and upper right, flanked by vertical Chinese-character marginal legends. The body of the note bears the issuer's name THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION, the place and date line HONG KONG, the promise-to-pay text, and the denomination in large letterpress text TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS, with the authorization line By order of the Court of Directors below. |
|---|---|
| Obverse lettering | INCORPORATED BY ROYAL CHARTER THE ORIENTAL BANK CORPORATION HONG KONG TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS By order of the Court of Directors 25 |
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| Comments |
The Oriental Bank Corporation was one of the dominant exchange banks operating across the British colonial East — headquartered in London but with active branches from Bombay to Yokohama. Its Hong Kong branch issued notes in limited denominations to facilitate trade settlement, and this 25-dollar value is among the less common from the series, reflecting the specific transactional demands of the colony's merchant community rather than round-figure convenience.
The bank collapsed in 1884, rendered insolvent by bad loans tied to coffee speculation in Ceylon. Outstanding notes became worthless almost overnight.